Impatiens plant names Serenade

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of impatiens plant named Serenade, characterized by its light lavender flower color, large flower diameter, solid deep green leaves, early flowering, long lasting flowers, excellent self-branching, and its floriferous habit.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar ofImpatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens, commercially known asNew Guinea Impatiens, and known by the cultivar name Serenade. Serenadewas developed by me through controlled breeding by crossing MikkelsenSeedling No. 89-198-1 (seed parent) with Mikkelsen Seedling No. 89-187-3(pollen parent). Both parents are proprietary breeding lines which havenot been sold or made publicly available in this country.

Asexual reproduction carried out by the inventor in Ashtabula, Ohio byterminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newimpatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successivepropagations.

The following combination of characteristics distinguish the newimpatiens from both its parent varieties and other cultivated impatiensof this type known and used in the floriculture industry. Comparisonsare made to the cultivar Constellation, Comet and Corona, with thelatter two being disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. Nos. 5,920 and 5,184,respectively. Constellation is not patented.

1. Serenade has a light lavender (81C) flower color similar toConstellation, with Comet and Corona being lavender-purple in flowercolor (78B and 72B, respectively).

2. Flower diameter of Serenade is larger at 6.0 to 6.5 cm thanConstellation at 5.0 cm, Corona at 5.0 to 5.5 cm, and Comet at 5.5 to6.0 cm.

3. Constellation at 30 to 35 cm and Corona at 25 to 30 cm are taller andmore upright than Serenade, a semi-upright cultivar 20 to 25 cm inheight. Comet is more mounded and shorter at 15 to 20 cm.

4. Serenade and Corona have solid bright deep green leaves with creamvariegation around the midrib of the leaf.

5. The leaves of Serenade and Constellation are similar in size at 11 to12 cm long and 3.5 to 4.0 cm wide, but larger than Corona (8 to 9 cmlong and 3.5 to 4.0 cm wide) and Comet (10 to 11 cm long and 3.0 to 3.5cm wide).

6. Serenade is 7 to 10 days earlier to flower than Constellation andCorona, and 4 to 7 days earlier than Comet.

7. Both Serenade and Constellation have green midribs and major veinswhile Comet and Corona have reddish colored midribs and major veins. Inaddition, Comet has a reddish cast to the entire underside of the leaf.

8. Constellation has the least amount of reddish stem coloration, withthe first 1 to 2 cm above the nodes showing color. Serenade has most ofits reddish stem coloration in the older main stem tissue, while Comethas most of its coloration in the young apical stem tissue. The entirestem area of Corona is reddish.

9. Serenade and Constellation have light green flower petioles andflower spurs, with the tips of the flower spurs being green. Comet andCorona have reddish purple petioles and spurs with deeper reddish purpletips.

10. Self-branching, early flowering, and its long lasting flowers allowsSerenade to be grown in 10 cm pots, but its vigorous habit is such thatit can also be grown in 15 to 25 cm containers.

The accompanying color photograph is a front perspective viewillustrating the overall appearance of Serenade with the colors being asnearly true as is reasonably possible to obtain in a coloredreproduction of this type. The photograph was taken on Apr. 15, 1991,under natural light on an overcast day, under double poly greenhousecovering at Ashtabula, Ohio.

The following is a detailed description of my new cultivar, based onplants produced in greenhouses in Ashtabula, Ohio during the Fall andearly Winter season of the year. Plants were grown in 10 cm pots andmeasurements were taken 12 weeks after rooted cuttings were planted.Height measurements were taken from the soil line of the container. Theplants were grown at 65°-68° F. night temperatures, under 3000 to 4000foot candles of light, and with nutritional values of 250 ppm nitrogen,75 ppm potassium, and 250 ppm phosphorous, with trace elements added.Heat of growth, foliage coloration, leaf variegation, size of leaves andflower size will be influenced by nutritional and environmentalconditions, without, however, any variation in the phenotype.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general Terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Parentage:

A controlled cross between female parent Mikkelsen Seedling No. 89-198-1and male parent Mikkelsen Seedling No. 89-187-3.

Propagation:

A. Type cutting.--Stem tip 15 mm long will develop to 4 to 5 cm long in18 to 21 days.

Time to root.--8-10 days at 23° C. summer; 10-12 days at 20° C. winter.

C. Rooting habit.--Heavy, fibrous.

Plant Description:

A. Form and habit of growth.--Semi-upright; self-branched; intermediatein height; vigorous growing; continuous flowering herb; flowering overtop of leaf canopy.

B. Foliage description.--Bright dark green leaves withoutvariegation. 1. Size: 11 to 12 cm long and 3.5 to 4.0 cm wide. 2. Shape:Lanceolate with acuminate apex and acute base. 3. Texture: Both upperand lower surfaces are glabrous. 4. Margin: Slightly serrated with fineciliate. 5. Color: young foliage, top side 137A. under size 146B. maturefoliage, top side 147A. under side 147B. 6. Venation: Pinnate, green incolor.

Flowering description:

A. Flowering habits.--Flowers continuously from leaf whorl in aprogressive orderly manner, with one flower per leaf axil the normalnumber. When last flower in a leaf whorl opens the first flower in theleaf whorl above starts to open. It takes 5 to 7 days for a mature budto fully open and then the flower may last 2 weeks or longer dependingon the environment.

B. Natural flowering season.--Indeterminant and continuous. Quantity offlowering increases with increasing levels of light.

C. Flower buds.--Ellipsoidal, flowers perfect. Light green spur up to6.0 cm long with green tip on a mature bud, with throat behind the ovaryand originating from the major sepal.

Flowers borne.--On individual 4.0 cm long green pedicels from a whorl ofusually 5 leaves, flowering progressively around the whorl as buds andleaves develop. Most leaf axils have one flower.

E. Quantity of flowers.--Numerous because of long lasting flowers andhighly self-branched nature of plant. Flower development is continuousand is above leaf canopy.

F. Diameter of flower.--6.0 to 6.5 cm.

G. Petals--1. Shape: Heart; two keel petals are largest. 2. Color: Topside in winter when opening, 81C, fading to 82C to 82D; underside 76B to76C. the petals form near their bases a white central eye, 155° C. 3.Number of petals: 5. 4. Size of petals: Standard: 4.0 cm wide and 2.5 cmlong; two equal lobes shallow cut. Wings: 2.5 cm wide and 2.5 cm long;two unequal lobes, intermediate cut. Keel: 3.5 cm wide and 3.5 cm long;two unequal lobes deep cut.

H. Reproductive organs.--1. Stamens: Five (5) in number. a. Anthershape: Hooded, color white. b. Pollen color: White. 2. Pistils: a.Stigma shape: 5 Segmented column, color white. b. Style color: White. c.Ovaries: Five (5) in number, size 4 mm when receptive, color green.

Disease resistance: No significant disease or insect problems seen todate.

OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS

1. Flowers of Serenade are longer lasting than Comet and Constellationand similar to Corona.

2. Serenade has demonstrated the ability to tolerate both hightemperature and sunlight levels as well as cool temperatures (40°-50°F.). Thus, the growing season can be extended.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct impatiens plant named Serenade, asillustrated and described.